Rent Cool It Carol! (1970)

The Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met - Cool It Carol! review by NP

As I write these words, ‘Cool it, Carol!’, directed by Pete Walker who is perhaps better known for his horror films, is close to its silver anniversary. It’s sobering to remember that 25 years before the film came out, World War 2 had just come to an end.

A lot changes in 25 years. This story, sometimes known as ‘The Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met’ stars Janet Lynn as the titular strumpet – and she isn’t a strumpet at all. Demure, shy even, she tells her wannabe boyfriend Joe (Robin Asquith) that she just doesn’t see sex as a big deal. This comes in handy when the two of them try to make their fortune in London. In other circumstances, Joe becoming her pimp and managing her earnings might portray him as a bit of a git, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

We’re never really witnesses to the various sex acts, but rather Joe’s reaction as a number of old men disappear into the bedroom with Carol. When she wanders out after it’s over for a nice cup of tea, she’s not remotely fazed by the ordeal.

Based on real-life events, this slice of exploitation is both naïve and eye-watering in its depiction of the ambitions of these young people, both of whom are well portrayed.

While Askwith became a household name with a series of bawdy comedies, Lynn settled down to a life of domesticity away from the cameras. Jess Conrad, Stubby Kaye and DJ Pete Murray bolster the cast with a series of cameos.

I found this an enjoyable slice of what is now ‘period drama’. My score is 7 out of 10.